Security Forum

Geneva, depositary of the four Conventions making up International Humanitarian Law
(IHL), is often spoken of as a city of peace. But peace, in the 21st Century, is more
than just the absence of war; it is about the guarantee of Human Security – freedom
from fear and from want – and it posits the Responsibility to Protect (R2P).

In 2007, the first Security Forum was inaugurated and organized under the leadership
of Dr. Alexandre Vautravers at Webster University Geneva, with the participation of
local think tanks and organizations, including the support of the Swiss Armed Forces.
Among these organizations, to name only a few, were the University of Geneva Strategic
Studies Group (GESUG), the International Center for Geopolitical Studies (ICGS), the
Geneva and Vaud Military Societies, and the editorial team of the Revue Militaire
Suisse. Since then, new partners and experts have joined the subsequent forums (e.g.,
the French centers Participation & Progrès and IPSE, the Geneva-based Water Lex, and
the UNIDIR) to address the following topics:

The SECURITY FORUM fills a gap in the International Relations BA/MA program. Security
and terrorism, conflict resolution and peacekeeping, diplomacy and strategy, geopolitics
and nation building are typical topics addressed in it.

In addition, it capitalizes on the formidable access and experience available in Geneva.
It allows Webster University to stand out and be recognized as a premier institution
in the field of security studies, through its faculty, its events, and its publications.

Last but not least, it allows our campus to develop partnerships with several Geneva-based
organizations, which are active in the areas of Human Security and/or Security Policy.